CSTE Exam Prep Online

Course Details

The CSTE Software Ttesting Body of Knowledge (STBOK) skill categories have been selected to address the challenges faced by today’s software testers. The Web-based CSTE Exam Study Course is a live, facilitated discussion and presentation of the ten STBOK skill categories. The course reinforces current knowledge, re-introduces concepts that may not be used everyday, explains the rationale for use, and highlights both multiple choice and essay type sample examination questions and responses.

It is recognized that many software testers do not need to be competent in all of the STBOK categories to fulfill their current job responsibilities. However, the CSTE candidate should have a working knowledge of the information in all skill categories and will be examined on all ten STBOK categories. This course provides a background of the IT testing fundamentals and also includes the more advanced concepts, which the Certified Software Tester must understand.

The completion of this course along with the necessary practical experience and related resource familiarity will help prepare the candidate for the CSTE examination. Due to time limitations, this course is not intended to cover every component of the STBOK in great depth.*

* Taking this course does not constitute, nor imply, the successful passing of the CSTE examination.

Who Should Attend:

Individuals who desire to reinforce their skills, knowledge, and capacity to understand the Software Tester Body of Knowledge (STBOK) in preparation for taking the CSTE certification examination.

General Information:

The course is composed of 12 sessions to help participants prepare for the CSTE Certification exam.

You will receive an e-mail reminder notice of the “Live Virtual Classroom” the day before each session. Each session will consist of Knowledge and Essay exams to be taken online. Feedback will be provided. Most meetings are on Tuesdays.

Tuesday – Q&A Session: 11 AM – 11:30 AM USA Eastern Time
The purpose of this session is to go over the assignments and clear up any questions you may have.

Tuesday – Tutorial: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM USA Eastern Time
The seminar leader will go over a series of slides and discuss the topics contained in the CBOK that are of importance to you.

A Web page has been created for this course, which will contain any downloads and assignments for the current week. The link information will be provided to you by the instructor before the beginning of the class. Once posted, the information will remain on the site for the entire duration of the course. Check back often as items are added to the Web page frequently.

The CSTE “Live Virtual Classroom” System Requirements: The video & audio segments of the “Live Virtual Classroom” are accessed independently. We will be using a system called Adobe Connect to conduct the video segment of the “Live Virtual Classroom”. You will NOT have to download any software.

Course Content

Thank you for considering the 12 session CSTE Exam Prep Course. This course will provide you with all the necessary information and knowledge you will need to significantly improve the probability of passing the CSTE Examination. While this course will stress the importance of information you will need to know for the exam, this course cannot guarantee you will pass the exam.

Our focus is to prepare you for the exam and we will provide you additional assistance with the registration process for the exam if you need it.

You will receive an e-mail reminder notice before each session. Most sessions will also have a separate Question and Answer session based on the prior session’s materials as well. In addition to live exercises conducted online, each session will also have Knowledge and Essay exams to be taken online after each session. Feedback will be provided.

Most all meetings are currently on Tuesdays.

Occasionally, a subsequent session in the series will actually be held in the same calendar week as the previous session to allow for holidays and instructor schedules. If this should happen, it is usually scheduled for Thursdays.

Sometime before the start of the series, you will receive an email with a login ID and password to both a special website and also the online program that is an integral part of the course.

To get a needed head start, we suggest you login to that website, examining and downloading materials from the first 3 tabs in the menu bar as described below, well prior to the start of the series. This includes your workbook, the STBOK, self-assessments, prologue videos, and the like.

Audio is conducted over phone lines, via telephone teleconference, and not over the internet. Speakers are not required at your workstation.

No special software needs to be installed at your workstation, other than the Adobe flash player, which comes pre-installed on virtually all computers. Version 10.1 or higher is required.

Important Prework Materials

Summary:

Prior to the first session – Read the Welcome Info, download and print the Course Materials, and view / take the prework materials on the prework drop-down within the Sessions tab.

Detail:

Welcome Info Tab:

View the Intructor Bio as desired.

Make note of the Additional Information containing the telephone teleconference phone number and passcode. The information also contains a free SKYPE toll-free alternative especially for callers outside the USA.

Course Materials Tab:

You can download and print the Course Book which is the workbook for the course.

You can download and print the CSTE CBOK (Common Body of Knowledge) for your reference throughout the course. You may find it convenient to keep the downloaded image for quick keyword searches.

Sessions Tab, Prework drop-down box:

You can watch the Prologue to get a course overview.

You can preview the “Live Virtual Classroom” Orientation slides to get an idea of what the “Live Virtual Classroom” screens will look like. These same slides will be used as an orientation during the first session. Make a written record of your current screen resolution and color quality. Be prepared to change the resolution to 1024 X 768 and quality to minimum (16 bit or 256 color) prior to each session. You can change it back to original settings after each session if you wish.

You can download the Skill Self-Assessment spreadsheet and self-assess you degree of skill in each of the 10 skill categories, before the first “Live Virtual Classroom” session. This will help you identify your current level of knowedge in each area. This is not sent to the instructor. Allow adequate time since there are 160 detailed skill self-assessment areas.

You can take the Pre-Test to pre-assess your present level of knowledge. It uses 30 multiple choice questions. It is automatically scored upon conclusion. Although the instructor gets a copy, don’t worry about how you do; course discussion is limited to group responses. This is an excellent way of doing a “dry run.”

You can take the Test Topics which are essay questions, in the same way and for the same purpose as the Pre-Test. These are questions on topics that Testing professionals most frequently encounter.

The Test Topic Answers contain sample answers to the Test Topics. It is suggested that you attempt to answer the questions before looking here.

Link to Additional Resources has links to various web sites and books on software quality which you might find helpful.

“Live Virtual Classroom” log in and use instructions shows you the screens you get when you click on the meeting Link to “Live Virtual Classroom” for the meeting session you are in.

Schedule

The course usually meets on Tuesday of each week. Occasionally we meet on Thursday to bypass scheduled events. You will be sent the link for the LVC on or before the Monday of each week. We honor daylight savings time when that occurs.

Tuesday 11:00am – 11:30am (USA Eastern time) – The LVC’s Q&A session meets to go over the assignments and clear up any questions you may have about the material covered on the previous session or sessions.

Tuesday 11:30am – 12:30pm (USA Eastern time) – During this one hour session the seminar leader will go over a series of slides and discuss the topics contained in the CBOK that are of importance to you. There may be times when the time of the LVC Session needs to be adjusted.

NOTE: Special times for the first two sessions are posted below. Please make note of these special times.

Syllabus

You will have a LVC session instructor emphasizing category orientation, importance of material, orientation to other skill categories, and monitored candidate discussions. In addition, you will have instructor assisted phone conference discussion sessions to review exercises and case studies.

Session multiple choice and essay assignments will be given. All assignments should be completed on or before the Q&A session the following session. Feedback will be provided to you in an e-mail on all assignments submitted.

Pre-Work

Completing the Self Assessment, Developing a Personal Action Program.Prior to First Meeting – Take the 30 question sample test which will be reviewed with the class as a group .

Session 1

Skill Category 1: Software Testing Principles and Concepts
This Session’s topics will focus on the Certification and Examination process, and we will discuss the tester’s vocabulary. A clarification of terms like QA and QC and an explanation of the Cost of Quality will also be included. Sample test questions will also be discussed.Category 1 is by far the largest section of the STBOK. To provide ample time to cover this material portions are covered in Session 1 and the remainder is covered in Session 2. Session 1 will not have designated Q&A time, questions will be entertained during each session. Sessions 2 through 12 will follow a standard format with 30 minute Q&A followed by the hour lecture.

Session 2

Skill Category 1: Software Testing Principles and Concepts
This Session’s discussions will include the software development life cycle, common tools and techniques for testing, and reviews. The basic test stages will be discussed along with special types of tests and the various roles and responsibilities of the software tester.

Session 3

Skill Category 2: Building the Software Testing Ecosystem
Topics this Session will focus on building the testing ecosystem which includes test process, test tools, test environment and test skills.

Skill Category 4: Risk in the Software Development Life Cycle
Topics this Session will focus on project, product and process risks within the software development life cycle.

Session 6

Skill Category 5: Test Planning
Topics this Session will focus on test planning and implementation, test plan documentation, test strategy, test plan features and what must be considered when planning for testing. this Session will focus on executing the test plan. A breakdown will be provided on each phase of the testing. Clarification will be giving on what a test case is vs. test scripts.

Session 7

Skill Category 6: Walkthroughs, Checkpoint Reviews, and Inspections
This Session looks at static testing processes such as walkthroughs, checkpoint reviews, and inspections explaining both the general approach and the value of full life cycle testing.

Session 8

Skill Category 7: Designing Test Cases
Topics this Session will the processes to identify testable conditions and how the techniques use to create test cases. Techniques for structural and functional testing are presented in detail.

Session 9

Skill Category 8: Executing the Test Process
This Session will focus on executing the test plan. A breakdown will be provided on each phase of the testing. Clarification will be giving on what a test case is vs. test scripts.

Session 10

Skill Category 9: Measurement, Test Status, and Reporting
This Session will focus on measurement and how it affects our test effort. Defect management will be introduced as a preventive step.

Final Review
Review of the Certification and Examination process and test taking tips.

Course Website

We have created a special Website for you and this course. Please protect the User ID and Password as we track who accesses the site by user ID and by IP address. We will post any downloads and assignments at the start of each week. Once posted, we will keep that information on the site for the entire duration of the course. Check back often since we’ll be adding items to the Web page frequently. All e-mail should be addressed to csteprep@qaicampus.org.

You will be able to download and print the Student Workbook for the CSTE Study Course and the Software Testing Body of Knowledge from the Pre-Work page of the Website.

Connecting to the “Live Virtual Classroom”

Please note that the video and audio segments of the “Live Virtual Classroom” are accessed independently. For the video portion, we are using a system called Adobe Connect which allows you to see the instructor and the weekly presentations. You will NOT have to download any special drivers or media player software; however, your system must have the latest version of Flash installed. To connect to the live video portion of the “Live Virtual Classroom”, click the address link on the e-mail you receive each week. You will need to enter your e-mail address and Password in the “Enter with your login and password” area of the main screen to enter the meeting. You will NOT need to use the speakers on your PC.

To hear the audio portion and participate in discussions, you must place a phone call to the phone number listed on the “Live Virtual Classroom” website under the Additional Info link.

Communication

Open communication is encouraged not only between the participants and the instructors but also among the participants of the course. Such communications can be of a great assistance especially if a local study group is not available. Any e-mail that you send concerning course information should be addressed to all attendees so we can share this information. If you have concerns about the course please feel free to contact me directly at csteprep@qaicampus.org.

Schedule & Registration

*Live Virtual Classroom pricing is in USD. Exam registration not included in price.

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